Shootings down 40 per cent in Sheffield over last six months

A police crackdown on armed crime has resulted in a 40 per cent reduction in shootings in Sheffield over the last six months.
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New Home Office figures show that armed police officers in South Yorkshire responded to an average of 12 incidents each week last year – a total of 638 incidents in the year to March.

It was a four per cent increase from 2019-20, when there were 611 firearms operations.

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Armed officers are only deployed to incidents where someone else is armed or is considered so dangerous that use of a gun may be necessary.

Armed officers on duty at MeadowhallArmed officers on duty at Meadowhall
Armed officers on duty at Meadowhall

Chief Inspector Lee Dowswell, from the South Yorkshire Police Firearms Support Group said shootings in Sheffield have reduced by 40 per cent over the last six months due to operations to ‘target and arrest violent criminals’.

“We know the impact of violent crime can be devastating. The repercussions can cause a great deal of fear and intimidation in our local communities and our officers work tirelessly to tackle offenders across the county,” he said.

“Over the past year we have conducted a variety of operations to target and arrest violent criminals across South Yorkshire. These operations have led to the arrest of known offenders, which has seen a marked reduction in firearms discharges across the Sheffield district, with a 40 per cent decrease during the last six months.

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“We are continually looking to improve and adapt our approach to tackling armed crime, but we rely heavily on the support of the public in doing so. If you have any information in relation to the illegal use or possession of weapons, please get in touch.”